1) The first thing I do in the off season is sit down with Hank and Dank and ask if they would like to finish their careers as Canucks. If so, then they need to acknowledge they will take a considerable salary cut on their next deal (Dropping immediately to 4 million each in year one, then 3.5 million in year two then say $3 million in year 3 and so one for as long as they wish to extend). They also have to accept that they will no longer necessarily be first line players. They will likely be second line and eventually third liners on this team.

If they are comfortable with this then reluctantly I keep them. They would likely be very hard to trade as a package while getting a reasonable return. However, Hank has to agree to give up the C to Kesler - the real emotional leader of this team. Hank and Dank wear As. Both Hank and Dank are tremendous individuals who also tremendous ambassadors in community.

2) I trade Alex Edler and Roberto Luongo at the draft to the Philiadelphia Flyers. In return I get Sean Couterier, Wayne Simmonds and agree to eat a bit (but not a lot) of Luongo's salary.

4) I am in no great rush to get Jensen or Gaunce in the NHL next year, but I certainly give them a fair shot in camp. My presumption, however, is they are both on our new AHL affiliate. A D position is Corrado's to lose and I look forward to taking a hard look at Darren Archibald for a bottom six position.

5) I sign a decent, cheap NHL back-up for Schneider and let him and Lack battle it out.

If the team is out this round, and barring a miracle they are, and if I'm Mike Gillis, then I'm basically sending out a memo to the team and saying that the time has come for big changes. Then asking for each of the players with NTC's/NMC's to confidentially let him know if they would or would not be willing to waive those clauses. This gives Gillis something to work with going forward, and lets him iron out a plan. He doesn't have to listen to other offers and then go to the player and find out if it's ok.

Meds wrote:If the team is out this round, and barring a miracle they are, and if I'm Mike Gillis, then I'm basically sending out a memo to the team and saying that the time has come for big changes. Then asking for each of the players with NTC's/NMC's to confidentially let him know if they would or would not be willing to waive those clauses. This gives Gillis something to work with going forward, and lets him iron out a plan. He doesn't have to listen to other offers and then go to the player and find out if it's ok.

My view is, and it was the same view after last year, that AV had a great run here, but he and his staff need to go. That needs to be THE first move, with a new coach and staff hired. Once that coach is hired then you start to devise what players work and do not work for that coach. Think of Carlyle in TO, he came in and figured who wanted and who didn't and they went from there...and he turned a roughly similar group of players under Wilson into a playoff team. MG cannot start making moves until they know who is coaching.

So, first, AV gone. I don't know who should be the replacement, but I'd like someone who is willing and able to nurture the young guys and hold the top players more accountable. As a fan, I can more than live with the Sedins anchoring one line and Kesler the other and having Jensen, Schroeder, Kassian, Gaunce (if he is ready) really get their shot. The answer for this team will not likely come through free agency or a trade - maybe, but those tend to be never as good as we hope - but from getting the young guys, with energy and a new attitude, into the mix, live with their mistakes a little while the older guys keep the team in the mix (I mean in the playoff mix, not Cup contending mix necessarily).

I'm totally comfortable with Schneider in net. His season stats put him in the top 5-10 easy. He had a tough playoff, but the whole situation was a mess. Clearly, Luongo situation has to be dealt with, by or on draft day, no later. Schneids in net, healthy that is (which could be said for any player, of course) and the team will have the solid/strong goaltending that keeps any team in the hunt. Get an experienced backup but also hope Lack comes back well of injury to move up soon.

The D-core, now this is where, with Tanev back and Corrado in and both looking like they could be cheap regular and reliable top 6 guys, the Canucks can deal from strength. I'd keep Hamhuis and Garrison for sure, they are strong top 4 guys, and I think Garrison was just getting into the swing of things by the end. It is Edler and/or Bieksa that are the assets MG can use to try to strengthen the forwards. And with respect to my point above, I hope he goes younger, no older vets. (eg.I don't want Doan, as much as I like him, too old, I'd rather get young guys - sort of like the deal TO did for JVR, for Schenn, if we got a deal like that, do it for Edler or KB, do it).

On the forward line, the two guys who you might have value on the trade market and the Canucks might be willing to move for a price (the Sedins and Kesler aren't going anywhere, so any speculation as such is wasted energy) are Burrows and Hansen. their contracts are reasonable and I could see him as possibly garnering something valuable. If MG sees a deal, could be worth it.

Raymond should not be back. He epitomizes the shrink in the big games problem of this team. Whatever it is, trade his rights, let him go...it'll be addition by subtraction. The rest of the forwards are pretty much interchangeable parts; type of guys who on the right team, in the right situation, could be part of a cup-raising, or be spare parts on an also-ran. I've got no dog in a fight of keeping or trading any of them, whatever works.

Finally, all this presumes Gillis stays, which is my presumption. I don't think Aquaman is quite ready to cut him loose. If he was fired, I'd have no real beef with it, but I do wonder what this team would be like under a different coach. I just see a pattern of this team's lack of preparation for the last two playoffs, and wonder about that. If MG happens to be fired, then who knows what happens. They could go outside, or they could turn to someone like Lorne Henning, long time hockey guy, winner as a player, seen it at all levels, might be ready for his shot. But who knows.

And the legacy of "bed-wetting" and "panty-twisting" continues..........

When anyone dares question why I, or another other Canucks fan, doesn't show blind faith in this team, remember this - this abomination of two seasons-worth of pathetic playoff performances. The window closed with Boston holding the Cup in our own rink, with me standing in the concourse because I couldn't bare to watch that happen even though my son stayed inside, and remembering that it took 19 years to even get that close again to the Cup.

I won't be so nice to the next person who throws out "bed-wetter" as a slur. You can fuck off.

cjc wrote:And the legacy of "bed-wetting" and "panty-twisting" continues..........

When anyone dares question why I, or another other Canucks fan, doesn't show blind faith in this team, remember this - this abomination of two seasons-worth of pathetic playoff performances. The window closed with Boston holding the Cup in our own rink, with me standing in the concourse because I couldn't bare to watch that happen even though my son stayed inside, and remembering that it took 19 years to even get that close again to the Cup.

I won't be so nice to the next person who throws out "bed-wetter" as a slur. You can fuck off.

Don't think anyone was calling you a bed pisser. You have what 120 posts ? There is one person on this board that has 2000 about the same thing. I'll give you a hint who that is; he likes to go mountain biking with transvestites and he lives in North Van.

I know we'll have our annual "it's the twins fault" suggestions in canuck fandom. And up front I'm not letting them off the hook as they need to be and I think can be better. i just don't think they are the major reasons why the team has struggled the last couple of years. Over the past 5 playoff seasons they have been PPG players. Not sure what else one asks for from them.

Rather, the problem to me is the canucks have never seemed to have that guy who steps up and gets himself noticed with a big series outside of Henrik, Daniel, Kesler, and Luongo. Roy, Raymond, Higgins, Hansen simply failed to step up and if you have mutliple lines struggling you are screwed.

And once again we have the canucks playoff PKing rear it's ugly head. 71% on the series. Terrible just terrible and nothing to do with the twins I might add (the PP was 20% which was fine).

Changes need to be made. Raymond needs to be moved. Higgins needs to be pushed to the thrid line. We need to see if Hansen can continue to progress I think. I really couldn't care less about what happens to LaPierre, Weise, Ebbett or Sestito. That does lie on the GM though I think coaching plays a big role as well. A bigger role IMO.

On the back end I think it's time to consider moving Bieksa. Decision making seems to be getting worse with each passing year and if he doesn't have a very reliable guy to cover for his mistakes he is easily exploited (and exploited he was). If return is great you might look at Edler but I still think that with a non-Bieksa partner Edler can ramp up his play. That pairing has been a disaster each and every game we've seen it yet Bowness went back to it again and again.

cjc wrote:And the legacy of "bed-wetting" and "panty-twisting" continues..........

When anyone dares question why I, or another other Canucks fan, doesn't show blind faith in this team, remember this - this abomination of two seasons-worth of pathetic playoff performances. The window closed with Boston holding the Cup in our own rink, with me standing in the concourse because I couldn't bare to watch that happen even though my son stayed inside, and remembering that it took 19 years to even get that close again to the Cup.

I won't be so nice to the next person who throws out "bed-wetter" as a slur. You can fuck off.

Don't think anyone was calling you a bed pisser. You have what 120 posts ? There is one person on this board that has 2000 about the same thing. I'll give you a hint who that is; he likes to go mountain biking with transvestites and he lives in North Van.

whew - I thought you were talking about me

This is not one person's fault, this team is stale and needs a transfusion. Not a total rebuild or trade everyone.

There needs to be a change of core players leaving and new players coming back so I don't look at cap hits as they will eventually work themselves out.

cjc wrote:And the legacy of "bed-wetting" and "panty-twisting" continues..........

When anyone dares question why I, or another other Canucks fan, doesn't show blind faith in this team, remember this - this abomination of two seasons-worth of pathetic playoff performances. The window closed with Boston holding the Cup in our own rink, with me standing in the concourse because I couldn't bare to watch that happen even though my son stayed inside, and remembering that it took 19 years to even get that close again to the Cup.

I won't be so nice to the next person who throws out "bed-wetter" as a slur. You can fuck off.

I like you anxst cjc....just remember what I told you....and that is all that matters

we never see good whilst doing bad......some people just pee when this occurs...lofl

First step is to fire the entire coaching staff (goaltending coach may be an exception). Not only is the head coach stale, but the defensive coaching has not given us the results we expect from the money and talent invested, and the special teams have been spotty and at times horrible (PK vs LA and SJS). Special teams and the defensive game are the bread and butter of coaching, and the results here have not been good enough for the talent on the roster.

I don't even think you make it to exit interviews with the coaching staff. You get back to Vancouver, shake hands, and say adios and thank you very much. This isn't to say that Vigneault, Bowness and Brown are bad coaches, they will have NHL gigs again soon, but their time here is done.

From there, you evaluate how to get more talent and offensive finish up front, and get more youth into the lineup. Somebody to play with Kesler is an absolute necessity, and this team needs another 30+G scorer or a couple of guys added to the lineup who can contribute 30-40 goals. Higgins and Hansen are third line players, and need to be left on that line. Both have been tried on the second line, but we need a more permanent solution.

cjc wrote:And the legacy of "bed-wetting" and "panty-twisting" continues..........

When anyone dares question why I, or another other Canucks fan, doesn't show blind faith in this team, remember this - this abomination of two seasons-worth of pathetic playoff performances. The window closed with Boston holding the Cup in our own rink, with me standing in the concourse because I couldn't bare to watch that happen even though my son stayed inside, and remembering that it took 19 years to even get that close again to the Cup.

I won't be so nice to the next person who throws out "bed-wetter" as a slur. You can fuck off.

Don't think anyone was calling you a bed pisser. You have what 120 posts ? There is one person on this board that has 2000 about the same thing. I'll give you a hint who that is; he likes to go mountain biking with transvestites and he lives in North Van.